Clematis 'Arabella'

Clematis 'Arabella' comes from English breeder Barry Fretwell and has been widely available since the mid-1990s. Its exact parentage is not known, but the growth habit clearly shows integrifolia ancestry. The open flowers, 5–8 cm across, usually have six narrow, well-separated sepals. They open deep purple-blue with a reddish cast and lighten with age to pure blue, revealing pink-mauve veining and a central bar.

The flowers appear in abundance from June to September; according to its breeder, 'Arabella' is among the longest-flowering clematis of all. At around 150 cm tall it stays compact yet looks substantial, resembling a shrub more than a climber. As a herbaceous clematis it needs a support such as an obelisk, trellis or arch; alternatively it can be grown as ground cover or in a container. Give it a spot in sun to semi-shade with normal soil; it combines well with shrub roses and other blue and purple clematis.

'Arabella' is very hardy (zone 5, roughly -28.8 to -23.4 °C) and has been awarded the Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society. Cut the plant back to about 25 cm in March; it belongs to pruning group 3, where all growth is cut down to just above the ground. Make sure the root zone stays cool and shaded.